The Japanese hurt the US Navy but failed to take out critical infrastructure at Pearl Harbor, for example dry docks and fuel dumps.
“The Japanese hurt the US Navy but failed to take out critical infrastructure at Pearl Harbor, for example dry docks and fuel dumps.”
Excellent points that must not be overlooked. Throw in the serendipitous fact that the carriers were at sea on December 7th with exercises and you have the reasons behind the previously mentioned successes at the Coral Sea and Midway Island which broke the back of the IJN in 1942. Damaged ships at Pearl were moved to the dry docks for repair/refit and returned to sea as part of carrier groups that hunted down the IJN while using the reserve bunker fuel from Pearl.
If they had invaded they could have taken those facilities, and our carriers would not have had any place to dock. G-d was on our side that day. We were woefully unprepared, and fortunately, the Jappers were woefully stupid.